


Unexpected Reaction

by killerweasel



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-03
Updated: 2013-12-03
Packaged: 2018-01-03 09:24:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1068802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerweasel/pseuds/killerweasel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann doesn't react the way Newt expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Reaction

Title: Unexpected Reaction  
Fandom: _Pacific Rim_  
Characters: Hermann Gottlieb, Newton Geiszler  
Word Count: 882  
Rating: PG  
A/N: AU before the events of _Pacific Rim_  
Warnings: n/a  
A/N: This is for [geniusbee](http://geniusbee.tumblr.com)  
Summary: Hermann doesn't react the way Newt expected.

Hermann was halfway across his chalkboard when something slammed into the equation near his head. The piece of Kaiju lung made a disgusting spattering sound before sliding down the blackboard, taking a large chunk of the equation with it. Hermann blinked at his ruined work. He'd been writing the equation for almost two hours straight and now part of it was just gone.

The chalk fell from his fingers as his hands started to shake. It took him longer than usual to climb down from the ladder and his bad leg threatened to buckle more than once. He staggered over to his chair with a sigh. Hermann looked at the equation, trying to remember what the missing pieces were before they'd been destroyed by blasted entrails. He didn't even glance in Newt's direction, just kept his gaze on the blackboard.

Newt had gone almost as still as Hermann. The piece of lung he was still holding felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. He set it back down on the counter. The 'guts on the chalkboard' thing was supposed to be funny. Newt did something like this every once in a while because it would get Hermann agitated and an agitated Hermann was an amusing Hermann. Hermann should have turned around and launched into an epic rant, which Newt would then counter with a rant of his own until the entire lab was almost echoing with their mixed words.

Except... Hermann had a very odd look on his face. And he wasn't shouting or yelling or even throwing anything in Newt's direction. Newt bit his lip as he watched the color drain from Hermann's cheeks until the taller man looked like an animated corpse. Hermann wasn't moving either. He was just sitting there, staring at the blank spot.

Newt walked over to the chalkboard and picked up the piece of Kaiju tissue from the floor. He carried it back over to where he was working, setting it down with the rest of the chunks. Then he picked up the cleaning solution he used to deal with what oozed from the samples. Glancing over his shoulder at Hermann, Newt started to clean the slime from the blackboard. He was careful not to touch the remaining writing. Newt muttered something about how 'Hermann really should use computers instead of chalkboards to prevent things like this from happening', as if Hermann had brought it on himself, which he had since Newt needed to make things around the lab more fun for the both of them.

By the time Newt got back to his own work station, Hermann still hadn't budged. A knot formed in Newt's stomach. For the first time in a long while, he wondered if he had gone too far. He poked at the pieces of lung without looking at what he was doing, keeping an eye on Hermann instead.

It was nearly half an hour later before Hermann got to his feet. He walked unsteadily over to the ladder, hands and arms still shaking, and slowly climbed back up. Then he began to fill in the gaps, never once turning to look at Newt.

The minutes turned into hours and Hermann was still at it. Newt had attempted to get Hermann to take a break and go to dinner, but had been dismissed with a sigh. Hermann hadn't even paused in what he was doing to glare at Newt. Offers of tea (Hermann's favorite kind made the way he liked it) and even one of the cookies from Newt's private stash were ignored.

Four hours after the piece of lung was thrown, Hermann finally came to a stop. His hand and arm ached all the way to his shoulder, his back hurt, and his bad leg felt like it had been run over repeatedly by a steamroller. When he managed to get his hand bend properly, he dropped the small bit of chalk he was holding on the floor. Hermann's efforts to extract himself from the ladder weren't as successful as he'd wanted, and he nearly tumbled to the floor only a few steps from the bottom.

Newt's arms were suddenly around Hermann's waist, helping him to stay upright. Normally Hermann would have been yelling for Newt to unhand him, that he was perfectly capable of moving on his own, but he hurt more than usual and wasn't even sure if he could get to a chair without help. He leaned on Newt as they walked across the floor.

Hermann took the fresh tea Newt offered him, sipping it slowly. He pulled open one of the drawers on his desk, taking out a bottle of pills. He washed two of them down with what was left of the tea. Hermann sat quietly for a few minutes as he watched Newt start to clean up the mess on the far side of the lab.

When Newt finished what he was doing, he suggested they get something to eat. He shifted from foot to foot, worrying that Hermann was going to reject his idea again. Hermann stared at Newt for a moment before inclining his head. A huge smile spread across Newt's face. They walked out of the lab together, with Newt rambling about some bad science fiction movie he'd watched the night before.


End file.
